An adorable pooch has been dubbed ‘Britain’s loneliest dog’ after waiting almost two and a half years to find a home.
Sam, an eight-year-old lurcher, has been a regular guest at the Destitute Animal Shelter in Bolton, Greater Manchester, since he was first rescued in 2014.
And while Sam was adopted by someone in 2016, his owner sadly died in February 2017, just six months later, so Sam ended up back at the animal shelter.
The lovable lurcher is adored by staff at the shelter, though they’ve so far been unable to find him a permanent home.
Sam has been adopted three times, but each time he’s ended up back at the shelter due to family circumstances.
Karen Rickards, manager at the shelter, said:
It’s never anything Sam’s done, he’s just constantly found himself in the wrong home at the wrong time.
He’s currently our longest-serving resident. And yet he’s playful, gentle and absolutely loves people.
We need to find someone who can take care of him. He deserves nothing less than an amazing home.
In a post about Sam on their Facebook page, the shelter wrote:
Sam is a great dog, he is fun and makes you laugh. He is playful and loving and can be quite lazy as well. He will need to be the only pet in the home and kept on a lead when on a walk as he will chase small furies (cats, rabbits, small dogs etc.) He is obsessed with teddy’s and likes rip them up to see what’s in side. He is fine with children (6 years +)
As long as you’re up for a few brisk walks it sounds like Sam doesn’t require a huge amount of maintenance; a great dog for the right household. Who knows, he may even end up becoming your best man.
The Destitute Animal Shelter has been chosen by Bolton firm, Love Energy Savings, as their chosen charity partner, to help raise funds for the shelter and all the animals which pass through on their way to their forever homes.
Phil Foster, CEO of Love Energy Savings, said:
While none of our animal-loving staff have adopted directly from the shelter, many know someone who has, so we’re thrilled to be able to help out.
The shelter needs £180,000 per year to survive and is in constant need of repair. We really hope we can raise enough money for them to make a difference.
Further south, Battersea Dogs Home’s longest-serving canine resident Aidan has clocked up his own 600 days there, seeing over 3,700 other dogs find their forever homes. The average stay for a pooch in Battersea is just 35 days.
Aidan was brought to Battersea after he was spotted wandering the streets of Woking by himself. And since arriving at the shelter, staff found him to be a tad ‘worried and insecure’ when facing new situations.
Kaye Mughal, Centre Manager at Battersea Old Windsor, said:
Aidan is such an affectionate, soppy boy who loves nothing more than a cuddle on the sofa under a fluffy blanket.
It’s heart-breaking that, while 3,714 of his doggy friends have found homes, he’s still waiting to find a family.
Fancy adopting a new addition for your family? You can find out more about Aidan here, or visit Bolton’s animal shelter and see Sam for yourself here.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com
Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.